The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings Part One)
by J R R Tolkien
This paperback edition of The Fellowship of the Ring includes not only the story and maps, but also an enlightening foreword by JRR Tolkien himself, which he wrote for the second edition.
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The Fellowship of the Ring, published in 1954, comprises books 1 and 2 of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien’s thousand-page plus fantasy novel. As book 1 opens, we learn that Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit, has remained a bachelor, but adopted a distant cousin, Frodo Baggins, as his heir. More surprisingly, Bilbo is about to turn 111 without, apparently, having aged at all. The power of the ring Bilbo picked up in The Hobbit is gradually revealed and it becomes clear that Frodo too must leave home to keep both himself and the world safe. He takes flight just in time, in the company of three hobbit friends. In book 2, the company escorting the ring expands to nine, who call themselves the ‘Fellowship of the Ring.’ The fellowship represents ‘the Free Peoples of the World’ and includes not only hobbits but also elves, dwarves and men, as well as the magician, Gandalf.
The book’s appeal lies in its brilliant evocation of being on the run from danger and the meaning of fear, as well as the power of camaraderie and the challenge of distinguishing friend from foe, and those you can trust from those you can’t. Tolkien is able to make the agents of evil in The Fellowship of the Ring truly terrifying.
